Sling



March 4,1958 c. L. NICKOLA] 2,825,598

SLING Filed Jan. 3, 1956 INVENTCR. Car] LNiCkOJQJ' an w a United StatesPatent SL NG Carl L. Nickolai, Tacoma, Wash. Application January 3,1956, Serial No. 557,063 3 Claims. (Cl. 294-75) This invention relatesto a sling of the class employed for lifting and moving heavy objects.

In lifting heavy objects such as rocks, stumps, cargo and the like, aproblem is presented in that it often is difiicult to attach the liftingcables to the object. For example, in loading large rocks on railroadcars, attachment of the cables to the rocks is a difiicult and timeconsuming operation, particularly if the rock is partly buried in theground. Accordingly it is the general object of this invention toprovide a sling which may be attached readily to heavy objects ofirregular contour and which thereafter may be used for moving theobjects to a desired location, for example, to a car or other vehicle onwhich it is to be loaded.

It is another object of this invention to provide a sling which may besecured rapidly and easily to a heavy object for transporting the sameto a desired location, and which thereafter may be released readily fromthe object.

It is still another object of this invention to provide a sling whichmay be used to carry heavy loads but which may be tripped safely from aremote station for releasing the load.

It is another object of this invention to provide a sling which may beused to carry heavy loads and which may be tripped either from theground or from a hoisting mechanism.

Still another object of this invention is the provision of a sling whichmay be used to engage and hoist objects of irregular shape, provided theobjects have on their exterior surfaces a margin or lip which may beengaged by the sling.

The manner in which the foregoing and other objects of this inventionare accomplished will be apparent from the accompanying specificationand claims considered together with the drawings, wherein:

Fig. l is a perspective view illustrating the manner of applying theherein described sling to a load, and for lifting the load therewith;

Fig. 2 is a perspective view illustrating the herein described sling intripped position, releasing the load;

Fig. 3 is a view in end elevation illustrating a preferred trippingmeans for use in connection with the herein described sling; and

Figs. 4 and 5 are views in side elevation illustrating the trippingmeans of Fig. 3 in locked and released positions, respectively.

Generally stated the sling of this invention comprises a plurality ofsubstantially equal lengths of a strong flexible material, each of thelengths having an eye on its outer end. Each length is threaded throughthe eye of the adjacent length to form a closed loop adapted forplacement over an object to be lifted. Attaching means are provided onthe other ends of the lengths for attachment to a hoist. Trip means areincluded in one of the lengths for releasing it, whereupon it may slipthrough the eye through which it is threaded, enlarging the loop andreleasing the object.

Considering the foregoing in greater detail and with particularreference to the drawings:

The sling of my invention is made of a plurality of lengths 10, 12, 14,16 of a strong flexible material such as rope, cable, or chain.Preferably these segments are of substantially equal length and areprovided in pairs.

Attached to the ends of each of the segments are eyes, indicated at 18,20, 22 and 24 respectively. Each of the segments is threaded through theeye at the end of the adjacent segment. Thus segment 12 is threadedthrough eye 18 of segment 10, segment 14 is threaded through eye 20 ofsegment 12, segment 16 is threaded through eye 22 on segment 14, andsegment 10 is threaded through eye 24 on segment 16. In this mannerthere is formed a closed loop at the bottom of the sling which may beenlarged or restricted as required for placement over an object 30 to belifted.

Attaching means are provided at the inner ends of segments 10-16 forattaching them toa hoist. Preferably, these ends are formed with loopswhich may be placed about intermediate rings 32, 34, two of the loopsbeing on each of the rings. These rings in turn are attached to aterminal or suspension ring 36, which is dimensioned to receive the hookof the hoist.

Trip means are provided for tripping the sling when the load has beencarried to its destination, thereby releasing the load. In theillustrated form (Figs. 3-5) the trip means comprises a yoke 40 ofsufficient dimensions to receive a trip ring 42 attached to the innerend of one of the segments, for example segment 16. Means such as thelooped strap 44 are connected to the yoke for attaching it tointermediate ring 34.

A locking section 46 is pivotally attached to one arm of the yoke bymeans of pin 48. This section is sufficiently large to close off theyoke opening when trip ring 42 is contained therein.

Resilient means, such as spring 50, are mounted on the yoke in such amanner as to press against locking section 46, thereby resilientlyurging the locking section to its closed position. Lever means such aslever 52 then may be connected to the locking section or to shaft 48mounting the same, for opening the locking means against the pressureexerted by spring 50. It will be observed that when lever 52 ispositioned as shown in Figs. 3-5, the trip may be operated from theground. In the alternative, it may be connected on the opposite sidefrom that shown, whereupon it may be operated from above the sling, asby the operator of the hoist.

Operation In operation, the sling is lowered over the object 30 to belifted. Since segments Ill-16 are not under tension, the loop formed bythe portions threaded through eyes 18-24 may be enlarged to the dottedoutline position of Fig. 1 as required to slip over the object.

Upon lifting the sling, flexible segments 10-16 are placed undertension, thereby restricting the loop. As a consequence the loop willengage any projection, lip or irregularity present on the surface of theobject, securing the object in the sling.

The object then may be lifted from the ground and transported to theselected location, for example, a car in which it is to be loaded. Itmay be lowered upon the car after which the trip is operated throughlever 52. Actuation of this lever opens locking section 46 against theresiliency of spring 50. Trip ring 42 thereupon will slip from the trip,releasing segment 16 of the assembly. This in turn enlarges the loopformed by segments Ill-16 so that it may be slipped over the object andremoved from it.

Accordingly it will be apparent that by the present invention I haveprovided a sling which is of simple construction but which may be usedeffectively in lifting and transporting large heavy objects of irregularcontour which are difficult to lift by other means. The sling may betripped from any desired station without hazard to the operator. Afterit has been tripped it may be removed readily from the object andreassembled for use in another lifting operation.

Having thus described my invention in preferred em bodiments, I claim asnew and desire to protect by Letters patent:

1. A sling comprising a plurality of substantially equal lengths ofstrong flexible material, an eye on the outer end of each length, eachlength being threaded through the eye of the adjacent length wherebysaid lengths form a closed loop adapted for placement over an object tobe lifted, attaching means on the other end of each length for attachingthe same to a source of power, and trip means included in one of thelengths for separating the same, thereby enlarging the loop andreleasing the lifted object.

2. The sling of claim 1 wherein a ring is attached to the inner end ofone of the lengths and the trip means comprises a yoke having an openingdimensioned to receive the ring, a locking section pivotally attached toone arm of the yoke and adapted releasably to close said opening,resilient means bearing against the locking section for maintaining thesame normally in said closing position, and lever means connected to thelocking section for moving the latter against the tension of theresilient means to expose said yoke opening, thereby tripping the sling.

3. A sling comprising a plurality of pairs of substantially equalsegments of strong flexible material, an eye on the outer end of eachsegment, each segment being threaded through the eye of the adjacentsegment whereby said segments form a closed loop to be placed over anobject to be lifted, a suspension ring, means for attaching the otherends of all but one of said segments to the suspension ring, a tripring, means for attaching the other end of the remaining segment to thetrip ring, a yoke having an opening dimensioned to receive the tripring, means for connecting the yoke to the suspension ring, a lockingsection pivotally attached to one arm of the yoke and adapted releasablyto close said opening, resilient means bearing against the lockingsection for maintaining the same normally in closed position, and levermeans connected to the locking section for moving the latter against thetension of the resilient means to expose said yoke opening, therebyreleasing the tripping ring and tripping the sling.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS1,436,727 Ruggles Nov. 28, 1922 2,476,734 Iellison July 19, 1949 FOREIGNPATENTS 154,367 Great Britain Dec. 2, 1920 108,409 Sweden Sept. 7, 1943

